IRISH PREVIEWNAPA STARR has just the second start of his career over jumps in the opener at Listowel this afternoon and the Charles Byrnes-trained runner should do a lot better than the first time.
That came almost two years ago at Limerick when Napa Starr was well behind when falling at the last but the horse, who won three times in his native France, has proved a very useful tool for the Byrnes team on the flat since then.
The six-year-old won his last start at Navan in a mile handicap and Napa Starr comes to today’s two-mile maiden hurdle in excellent form for jockey Davy Russell.
Leblon should prove hard to beat in the €14,000 mares hurdle, given a productive winter that wound up with a fine second to Tarla in a Grade Three at the Punchestown Festival.
Dermot Weld will be busy at Listowel over the weekend and he produces an interesting runner in today’s bumper in New Rules, who started favourite for his sole start to date at last year’s Galway festival.
Epsom might be hogging the flat racing headlines today but Tramore does host an all-flat card this afternoon and it could provide Brazilian Beauty with a valuable winning bracket in the mile-and-a-half maiden.
David Wachman has a good record at Tramore and the Co Tipperary trainer can continue that with Rocky Wednesday in the maiden (1m 6f) and Dragon’s Den in the mile-and-a-half handicap.
The flat also dominates at Listowel tomorrow, where The Reaper, third to Longhunter at Leopardstown last weekend, can make his experience pay in the mile juvenile maiden.
The popular Co Monaghan trainer Oliver Brady saw Caesar’s Song finish third in last weekend’s Saval Beg and a quick reappearance in the finale tomorrow could pay off in style.
